Marvel Universe, Hell on Earth 2 Scramble
by Cap808
Summary: The traitor has been revealed, and the hordes of Hell have won the first round. Yet there are still some survivors who understand how to 'avenge'. Please read and review!


**Marvel Universe, Hell on Earth pt. 2 **

**Story Arc 2 – 'Scramble'**

**9:06 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time**

It's dark in the city. Nightfall has been here for several hours now. The sky seems blacker, the air seems more humid, and the streets are silent, save for the shrieks of an occasional demon and the scream of their victim. Thousands of zombies still roam the streets. It has been almost 24 hours since the Vision made a deal with the devil, and humanity has paid the price.

The Vision soars through the burnt skies. With all public and military planes grounded and with no other super beings in sight, the Vision seems to own the night sky. He scans the city. There are survivors. Thousands of them. Mostly those smart enough to lock themselves into their homes while avoiding the temptation to peek out their windows. A human's will to live is remarkable. Hopefully, a soul will help him realize why.

The Vision slowly levitates onto the grounds of Avenger's Mansion. It's deserted. Whoever survived has decided to run and hide. This should feel like a victory, but it's hollow. The Vision knows whom he is dealing with. Until he sees the body of Captain America, he will be hesitant to celebrate. He has seen the Captain salvage many victories from the cusp of defeat. The Captain gives people hope and faith. Super human and normal human alike. He has to be dealt with.

Realizing that no one is there, the Vision floats skyward. Once again taking the airways as his. Mephisto will not be pleased. The deal included the death of all super humans. By the Vision's count, there were at least a dozen of his old comrades still alive, another dozen unaccounted for. They have to be found, and they have to be destroyed.

**9:10 p.m. – Earth's Eastern Standard Time**

The gates of Valhalla, normally it is a serene place. This is where all of the fallen warriors come upon their death. Asgardians regard it with the utmost respect. It is a reward for the noble warrior. Today, there are two Asgardians trying to keep those fallen warriors within those gates. The woman warrior Valkyrie fights off a horde of ogres, as the Thunder God Thor, tries to hold the gates shut. Thor holds his mighty uru hammer Mjolnir tight within the lock. To get his mind off his task, Thor contemplates the pride he feels knowing that his father entrusted him with such a huge responsibility. Yet, he can't stop himself from being a little upset that his father would put him through such a terrifying ordeal. The Valkyrie fights a noble fight, yet she is but one warrior and the ogres eventually overcome her. Thor feels the tears welling up within him, but he holds fast to his task. The ogres then circle him and begin to taunt him. They hurl stones, and lash him with their enchanted whips. They have the Mighty Thor at their mercy.

**9:28 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time**

He was once known as the mutant hero Wolverine. He was part of Alpha Flight, part of the X-Men, and even an Avenger. He had always coped with, and suppressed the berserk rage within him. It had been a daily battle in his long and eventful life. Earlier this morning, Mephisto made life easy for him by removing what humanity he had left. Now he is a savage killing machine hiding in a tree and waiting for his next victim. His instincts tell him that he is waiting for someone, or something. He's not sure exactly, and he doesn't really care. He has the memories of all the blood he has shed today. He's killed three-dozen people today alone. There would've been more, if it weren't for the one-eyed man who hurt him with the fire from his eye. He begins to breathe heavily at the thought of killing the one-eyed man. Until then, he'll just sit and wait, because someone told him to.

**10:14 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time**

Peter Parker sobs as he walks down the street. He looks oblivious to the chaos that surrounds him. Zombies attack humans, humans attack zombies, and humans attack humans. Earlier in the day he found himself fighting against the hordes of Hell itself. Many of his friends and fellow heroes died. He's had a long career as a hero, and he thought that the carnage he witnessed this morning was the worst thing he's ever seen. He was wrong. After the battle at Avenger's Mansion, the surviving heroes made a strategic retreat underground to a military installation that Warbird knew of. Captain America, Angel and Nightcrawler were severely wounded. Wounded? Damn it, Angel was crucified and Nightcrawler had his tail cut off. While Captain America was still in one piece, he seemed in bad shape.

Once the three fallen heroes were stabilized, it was agreed that a few of them could go and check on their families and friends. They all agreed to meet back the next morning. Peter hadn't even bothered to take off his costume. At this point, a secret identity didn't seem that important. As he climbed into the window of his apartment, he could see that his front door had been smashed. His eyes began to fill with tears. His spider-sense was now a steady buzz in his head. He remembers knowing exactly where to find Mary Jane. She'd be in the Master Bedroom. That's where his world ended. He had found Mary Jane, but part of him wishes he didn't. Standing over her body and feasting on her innards, was his Aunt May. She was no longer his Aunt though. Now she was like the other thousands of walking dead outside. While his psyche tried to comprehend the sight in front of him, his subconscious tried to figure out how Aunt May got here. Was she already a zombie when she got here, or had she died here and surprised Mary Jane by coming back to life? Did it really matter?

Peter snaps out of his funk just in time to see the dozen or so zombies headed his way. He could easily swing away, or he could easily web them up and leave them there. Instead, he jumps into the middle of the mob, and silently, but savagely decapitates each of them. A voice from within reminds him of another of his failures, "Sure Parker. Go ahead and put these poor bastards out of their misery. Couldn't you have done the same for Aunt May?" He can still see Aunt May's corpse as she noticed him and slowly got up from Mary Jane to get to him. All he could do was cry. Cry and jump out of the window. Now his Aunt will never know peace. He should've been the one to do it. The thought of a stranger putting a bullet in Aunt May's head makes him nauseous.

Fighting back tears, Peter destroys the last zombie, and leaps onto the nearest building. He climbs to the very top and stands on the ledge. "This is pretty high up." He thinks to himself. "This would probably do it, and if I'm a puddle, I don't think I could come back as one of those things." He looks at his wrists and discards his web-shooters. He sighs. "At least I'll see Mary Jane and Aunt May in heaven." As he jumps off the building he realizes that Aunt May isn't in heaven. She's still walking around his apartment.

**10:17 p.m. – Eastern Standard Time**

The tiny underground bunker consists of a conference table, three cots, a few lockers of canned goods, several gallons of water, a tiny restroom, and four dim light bulbs. The Angel is laid out on the coffee table. His hands and feet have been heavily bandaged, and he is wrapped in heavy blankets to prevent shock. Nightcrawler moans as he writhes on his cot. His tail had been torn off and bandaged as well. Next to him rests the Falcon. Although the energy from the Quantam-bands had cauterized his wound, his body was still trying to recover from the shock. Luckily, it seemed as if the bands soothed his pain. Finally, on the last cot, lay Captain America. During his hasty retreat, the Vision was able to take a good slice into the Captain. Warbird had done her best to fill the wound, and stop the bleeding, but the damage had been done. Whatever morphine they had started with, had been used.

Warbird wipes the sweat from Cap's head and then stands. She walks over to the corner where her friend Ben Grimm also known as the Thing, stands with two brothers who happen to be X-Men, Cyclops and Havok. Havok had been shaken up, but he looks to be okay. That was a good thing, from what she knew this guy packed a lot of power. Next to him stood Hawkeye, who was just too thickheaded to quit. She admired him, and was not at all surprised that he was one of the last heroes standing. Her friend Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, stood next to Hawkeye in silence. Warbird can't help but to think, "I've had some hard times in my life, but if anyone has had it rougher than me, it would be her." Warbird sighs, "Hopefully we'll all find a slice of Heaven after this nightmare." Finally, there was Dr. Strange. He was a little weird, but she took some comfort knowing that if they were battling the forces of Hell, at least they had Earth's premier magician among them.

To her knowledge, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Nova and Turbo had all left to check on their families. They all promised to be back by morning. Hopefully they'll all be back. The risk didn't seem that great anymore because most of the demons were gone, they just had to navigate through the zombies and whatever anarchy reigned outside. Yeah, just a Sunday stroll through the park. It's odd, there were only four heroes in attendance that had family left to check on.

As Warbird approached the group, they stop their conversation. Cyclops is the first to address her, "How are the wounded?"

She shakes her head. "Well I would say that the Falcon and Nightcrawler are going to be okay. It's a little harder for me to assess the Angel, because it looks like his wounds have been infected. We have minimal penicillin down here, but we're doing our best."

Hawkeye asks the question that most of the group has been thinking. "What about Cap?"

Warbird stares at the floor, "I don't know. But he's lost so much blood, and the Vision damaged a lot of his organs. If it wasn't for the remnants of the Super-Soldier serum, he'd be dead already."

Dr. Strange interjects. "I'll have a look at him in a minute. I may not be a practicing surgeon anymore, but I think we'd all agree that in these drastic times, all boundaries have to be crossed."

Warbird puts her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you Doc."

Cyclops continues the previous conversation. "I was just telling Dr. Strange that Angel's blood has been known to heal the sick and wounded. However the Doc said that because it's been infected by a demon's touch, the blood is probably already tainted."

Warbird nods, "Are you serious? Damn it, can't we catch one break?"

Cyclops asks her, "Are you going to be okay?"

Warbird nods. "Sorry about that. What were you guys discussing?"

Cyclops assesses the current situation, "Okay this is what we know, Havok, Angel, Nightcrawler and myself comprise everyone that's left from Xavier's. According to Ben, he's all that's left of the Fantastic Four. Doctor Strange has said that we've lost Namor, Hulk and the rest of the Defenders. The Silver Surfer is also gone. According to Hawkeye, the Thunderbolts are gone as well, the last transmission he received from Mach-4 sounded desperate and ended suddenly."

The Thing scratches his chin. "Geez Cyke, you don't have to be so casual about it. We're talking about our family and friends."

"I'm sorry Ben. I didn't mean it that way. We've all lost loved ones. I just want to have the best grasp on this that I can. It's ironic that we made our stand at the Mansion, because from this moment on, it's all about avenging."

The Thing nods. "When you put it that way Cyke, no offense taken. Now finish what you were saying, so we can get to that avenging business."

"Thank you Ben. Once again according to Hawkeye, all other reserve Avengers have not answered repeated attempts at contact, so we have to assume the worst. Various other reports have us losing Daredevil, Iron Fist, Moon Knight and almost everyone who's ever been called a New Warrior. Does that about cover it?"

Warbird raises her finger, "Let me elaborate a little more Cyclops. I've been in contact with Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. They are now operating on a skeleton crew. All that they have left are whoever was in the Helicarrier when their ground forces were annihilated. I'd say they're about 1,200 strong right now."

"Compared to?" Hawkeye asks.

"Normally in the area of 6,000."

"Holy…"

"We still have all active members of the military on full alert as well as all reservists. On the superhuman front, I've tried every foreign connection I've had. You'll all be happy to know that the Black Panther has contained their outbreak in Africa. Apparently they have a lot of witch doctors that were able to control the walking dead. He's offered us sanctuary there, but can't offer us help here as he needs to maintain their stability."

Ever the leader, Cyclops interrupts, "If you get the chance to speak with the Panther again, see if it's possible for him to send one of those doctors here."

"Consider it done. Now, I had no knowledge of any heroes in Mexico and South America, all I could find out was that according to all reports, the American Eagle and the group known as the Rangers, have fallen."

Havok finally speaks, "The Rangers?"

"Yes, a small group of about five heroes, the Texas Twister, Red Wolf, Shooting Star…"

Havok nods absently.

"I also found out that Captain Britain and her group in the United Kingdom have also fallen. Reports out of Europe say that there are no heroes left, and the military's have all abandoned their posts. I did receive a transmission from someone in Germany calling himself Blitzkrieg, but his whole message was broken. Still waiting on word from the Black Widow who was supposedly vacationing in Prague. Finally, the last word I got was that the Asian heroes were holding their own, apparently it looks like their super human numbers are much higher than any of us seemed to know. Although, I don't anticipate them coming to our aid."

"What about Australia?" Hawkeye asks sarcastically.

"I'm not aware of any super humans in Australia." Warbird replies.

"Captain Kangaroo?"

Warbird smiles weakly, and Hawkeye is left to apologize. "Sorry. Just trying to cope the best way I know how."

The Thing slaps Hawkeye in the back, pitching him several steps forward. "It's all right Hawk, we all have our own ways. It was pretty good though."

There is a long silence. Then Cyclops speaks, "Okay, so we're it."

"I like our chances." Havok says.

The Thing laughs, "I like you kid. I like all of you."

Havok smiles. "I like you too, big guy. Let's bust some heads."

Cyclops tries to deflate the bravado in the room. "Not yet. We'll give our wounded some time to see who can fight, and we also have to wait for Spider-Man and the others."

**Midnight – Eastern Standard Time**

Luke Cage sits on the steps of his apartment. His wife and child are gone. No note, no sign of a struggle, and no sign of them packing. All he can do is weep. He looks around the neighborhood, and the streets are only littered with zombies. He recognizes Mr. Choi, the mailman. He sees Mr. Ortiz, the corner grocer. He wonders how they died. Did any of them see his family? Now what? Does he stay and wait to see if they come back? If she's alive, she's too smart to come back here. Should he go and look for her? Where? It's not like they had a contingency plan on where to meet when the dead begin to walk the Earth. Luke Cage walks slowly back up the stairs, throwing the zombies that get in his way out into the street.

Midnight – Asgard, The Gates of Valhalla 

Ogres cackle with glee. For years they have been seen as the rubbish of Asgard, unfit to walk it's golden streets. Now, most of the Asgardians are dead, and they have Asgard's favorite son and champion at their mercy. While Thor holds strong to his grip of Mjolnir, the Ogres whip him. They punch him, they bite him, and they mock him. He ignores the Ogres. He must persevere. Help will come, and the dead shall remain behind these gates. Until then, the beating continues.

**2:47 a.m. – Eastern Standard Time**

Peter Parker floats weightlessly. "I'm dead. I'm floating." He sees Aunt May and Mary Jane calling for him. They're beautiful. Uncle Ben is behind them too. As he floats closer to them, their features change. They deteriorate and become bloodthirsty zombies. Peter sobs. Even in death he's unlucky. Just as soon as they appeared, they're gone. All that's left is darkness.

"Hey! Hey Spider-Man! Wake up!"

Peter is groggy, but opens his eyes. He can see without obstruction as his mask has been taken off. He sees Nova and Turbo standing above him. "Nova?"

"Yeah, it's me, and Turbo. Sorry about your mask buddy, but you hit that ledge before I could catch you. We just wanted to be sure you weren't dead."

"Not a problem. Wearing a mask seems really insignificant these days, huh?"

Nova laughs. "Yeah, I guess so. How do you think we feel? I've got a bucket on my head, Turbo's got a tiara from the New York school of welding."

Peter smiles. "Thanks for the save Nova."

Nova doesn't return his smile. "I'm glad you said that Web-head. It looked like you took that plunge on purpose."

Peter is somber. "No. It was a mistake. And call me Peter. Peter Parker."

Nova smiles. "Nice to meet you Pete. I'm Richard Rider. Rich to my friends."

Turbo removes her helmet. "It's nice to meet you Peter. I'm Mickey Musashi."

Nova removes his helmet as well. "Well, look at the three of us. Pals to the end."

"Any luck with your family Peter?" Turbo asks.

Peter surprises himself with his ability to speak. "No. My wife, and my Aunt, they're both dead."

"I'm sorry."

Peter nods and then takes a deep breath. "What about you guys?"

Turbo shrugs, "My parents are in France, I have no way of contacting them."

"Have you thought about flying there?"

"I've thought about it, but the harsh reality is that my chances of finding them are remote at best. I think I'm better off helping here. Hopefully when things get back to normal, they'll be okay."

Peter shrugs, "When things get back to normal…I wonder if that'll ever happen?"

Turbo fights through tears, "It has to."

"You're right. It has to. What about your family Rich?"

Nova hugs Mickey and says, "Believe it or not, my family is still together. It seems that my brainiac brother built a state of the art bomb shelter under my parents' home. I swear they're living better in there than I lived in my apartment. They're fine where they are. I can check on them daily."

Peter almost chokes. "That's great news bucket-head."

Nova holds onto Mickey as he watches Peter slowly walk away. "I should be thrilled that my family is safe. Instead I feel like a heel for being able to take any joy from it." His thoughts consume him and he begins to tear as well.

Spider-Man walks over and grabs Nova's shoulder. "No, Rich. Don't cry. You have to be happy that they're alive. If we can't be happy, then there's nothing to live for. We're still heroes, and we have to go on living for the people who are still alive, as well as for how much we meant to those who have passed. Trust me, I understand now."

Nova feels a warm sensation within his heart. He's had the feeling a million times before, but never appreciated it until just now. Until he realizes that this was hope, and this is what it feels like. He hugs Peter and the two heroes instantly bond. Mickey forces herself between them needing to share in their comfort.

Rich tries to recapture his machismo, "Okay then let's get back to that bunker and make sure we kick some Mephisto ass."

Peter nods, "Definitely. But we have to go back to my apartment first. I have to say goodbye to my Aunt."

**3:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time**

Elsewhere, two of the universe's more powerful beings meet. Adam Warlock sits with the genocidal maniac Thanos. They watch a monitor that shows them the carnage back on Earth. Thanos smiles, "I'm surprised that you haven't made an attempt to save your birth planet Adam."

The grim Adam Warlock absorbs every minute detail on the screen. "I have sat and watched this horror that Mephisto has unleashed since the very beginning. As much as it hurts me to admit, there's nothing we can do."

The ear-to-ear smile on Thanos' face has yet to straighten. "There's always the Infinity Gauntlet. Would it really be that hard to get all of the gems back together in such a cataclysmic time?"

Adam stands from his table and begins to pace. Eventually he turns to Thanos. "I suppose the reunion of Infinity Gems could erase all of this, but it's been proven that no one can, or should wield that Gauntlet evermore."

"I've learned Adam. I'm sure I could do it. I can save the Earth."

"I'm sorry my mad friend. I highly doubt that you could. No one can, and so the Earth and its heroes are on their own. I can only wish them the best." Adam once again takes a seat in front of the monitor.

Thanos smiles. He wonders how Adam could've missed that silver streak a few hours ago.

End of Part 2 


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